The invention concerns a takeoff, flying and landing aid or emergency landing aid for airplanes or for flight systems in spacecraft.
The profile of the airplane wing and its angle of incidence is a determining factor in the lift of an airplane. Lift coefficients increase with angle of incidence up to a specific maximum value. If this critical limit is exceeded, the lift values decrease rapidly until finally the airplane stalls.
In addition, the limits obtained for lift in airplane wings are relatively low and thus require large wing lifting surfaces and very high minimum speeds during flying, take-off, and landing. These high minimum speeds further require very long take-off and landing runways and are dangerous for take-offs and landings. Approximately 70% of all airplane accidents in commercial aviation occur, according to statistics, during take-off and landing. Yet both of these flight phases are only of short duration in comparison to total travel time. However, minimum speeds which are much too high occur below which an airplane today can neither take off or land.
During takeoff there are friction forces caused by the high thrust of the wheels of the wheel landing gear assembly which make the lifting of the airplane difficult and require unusually long take-off distances on the runway. Again, during landing the resistance forces which arise are relatively small in comparison to the braking forces during takeoff so that for today's high landing speeds, very long landing strips, and kilometer-long takeoff runways are required.
In order to produce additional lift, so-called slat approach flaps and wing-tip flaps are used. These are not sufficient, however, for a significant reduction of the high minimum speeds.
It is therefore an important object of the invention to provide increased lift for craft of the class described.
It is a further object of the invention to reduce one or more of minimum speed, friction forces, braking power requirements runway length and stall tendency of such craft consistent with the preceding object.
It is a further object of the invention to carry out one or more of the preceding objects at low cost and/or with minimal or no enlargement of the power means and fuselage of such craft.
It is a further object of the invention to increase safety of such craft consistent with one or more of the preceding objects.